


Angel's Wish

by god_najaem



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angel Chenle, Angel Na Jaemin, Angel Wings, Angel Yangyang, Angel/Human Relationships, Angst, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mentioned Mark Lee (NCT), Suicide Attempt, Teen Romance, angel jaehyun, angel taeyong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26045545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/god_najaem/pseuds/god_najaem
Summary: Angel Jaemin hates to interact with humans, courtesy of a certain Jung Aeri, the human assigned to him. That's why, when each angels were given a wish coupon by Head Angel Taeyong, the entire Angel City was shocked upon his wish: to become a human being.Or an Angel Jaemin AU were human-anti guardian angel Jaemin fell in love with the human he's assigned to guide, thus leading him to wishing to become a human too.
Relationships: Na Jaemin/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> «⁘ Greetings, dreamers ⁘»
> 
> I made some major revision to this and I finally found the urge to continue writing this again under a new title and new username. Enjoy!
> 
> Yours truly,  
> god_najaem🤍

*✦∗˚೫˳♡˳೫˚∗✦*˳

“REPORT.”

The blonde angel blinked twice, fingers fidgeting behind his back, as he straightened his body that made his wings fluttering lightly behind him. With a clear of his throat and his chin held high, he proceeded to relaying his report to the Head Angel, sitting behind his desk.

“Human A received a perfect score for her final examination on Calculus. She also had completed her shift for today’s part-time job in a restaurant near her apartment, earning ₩75,000. On top of that, she behaved well in school as well as during her work. To end my report, I am pleased to tell you that Human A is doing just fine.” The younger angel ended his memorized speech with a smile, almost looking sincere as it seemed to be.

“Is that so?” The Head Angel raised an eyebrow, giving the other a skeptical look.

The younger gulped visibly but his smile never faltered just as he practiced, though his insides were most probably trembling in fear.

“Y-yes.” The reply came out as a high squeak so he cleared his throat once more before answering again. “I mean yes, Head Angel. My daily report ends here. If you don’t mind, I’ll go back to my duty.”

The blonde angel bowed respectfully to the Head Angel and quickly turned to his heels, attempting to head to the exit of this white office. He smiled victoriously, thinking he managed to trick the Head Angel with his wit.

“Angel Jaemin?”

The smile he had been holding earlier was gone as quick as it appeared, as he stopped his tracks just near the door. He gulped once again before slowly facing the Head Angel, fluttering his long and thick eyelashes accompanied by his famous innocent smile.

“Yes, Head Angel Taeyong?”

“I believe we’re not yet done with your report. I have some… clarifications to make.”

“A-and what are those?” though scared for his soul, he still managed to ask.

“I’m not quite sure if we have different interpretation of a perfect score but you don’t mean it as 7 out of 100, am I right? And how did she manage to earn ₩75,000 when she got fired and left the resto bar before she can even start performing? Not to mention that she got into a fight _again_ with the manager, the landlady and her mother. And all of this happened today? My God, Jaemin, this has been, by far, your _worst_ performance.”

Jaemin frowned, realizing his plan had failed _again_. He knew where this conversation is going – either he’ll be punished for lying and forging his report or he’ll get scolded _nonstop_ by the Head Angel for his sins.

If he’ll get to choose, he wanted to be punished instead. The worst punishment he could get based on the level of his sins would be to guide and teach Chenle, the newly-recruited guardian angel who’s as mischievous as he looks like. He prefers hanging out with a naughty and talkative angel more than sitting for days having Head Angel Taeyong’s words as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“Care to explain, Jaemin?”

“Where did you get those information?” the young angel asked, trying not to sound as if he was caught in action, even though that’s the case right now.

“A reliable source,” Taeyong simply answered, quickly dismissing the younger’s attempt on changing the flow of the conversation.

The blonde angel sighed in defeat, his posture screaming all the same. “If you know Human A more than I do, then what’s the point of keeping me as her guardian angel? Maybe _your_ reliable source should do my duty instead and you’d probably be in peace more than ever.”

Head Angel Taeyong was already shaking his head in the middle of Jaemin’s argument before pinching the bridge of his nose. He thinks that this boy would most probably be the main reason of his early retirement.

“First of all, Jung Aeri is her name. You should _seriously_ stop calling her Human A or other names.”

Jaemin fought the urge to roll his eyes and mentally prepared himself for a very long sermon from the older. He guessed that his punishment must be the _nonstop_ scolding.

“Secondly, you are a guardian angel. It is your duty to guide the human assigned to you, which, in your case, is Jung Aeri. Third, I know you really don’t like her attitude and personality-”

“Everything about her, actually,” Jaemin uttered under his breath.

“-but that’s the reason why you’re here in the first place. She needs you and your guidance.” Taeyong sighed, probably for the fifth time today since he started talking with Jaemin. “Besides, I don’t understand why you hate her so much. Despite her flaws, from the few times I have watched her, she seems to be a lovely girl.”

Jaemin nearly scoffed, mumbling to himself. “That’s because you don’t get to spend your time with her 24/7. Try to be with her even just for one hour, you’ll regret saying that.”

“You’ve been her guardian angel for what?” Taeyong paused, mentally calculating. “For eighteen months yet her improvement is close to none.”

“Well, it’s better than nothing,” he mumbled again.

“Jaemin, will you stop being so childish and take your job seriously for once?”

The blonde angel quickly shut his mouth, shocked at the sudden outburst from the Head Angel. Everyone knows Taeyong as very calm and a leader full of patience, so to witness this side of him, which is a very rare opportunity, makes Jaemin’s gut twist into knots of guilt.

“I’m sorry, Head Angel,” he said in a small voice, truly meaning the words this time.

“I’m not going to change her guardian angel nor will I assign you to another human. This is your mission and _you_ should also be the one to accomplish it. Only then will I approve of your Wish Coupon.”

Jaemin heaved a sigh, completely losing hope of getting his wish come true as soon as possible.

“I understand, Head Angel.”

Taeyong stood and approached the young angel, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. “Jaemin, I know you’re struggling with Aeri. I can see that her whole life is a mess and it’s a lot for you to fix, but it is our duty to guide the humans for their lives to be better. It’s not like she’s messing her life on purpose so you’ll suffer. She’s also having a hard time with her life, so try to find it in your heart not to despise her so much, okay?”

Jaemin nodded and managed to force out a small smile from his lips.

“I’ll try, but I cannot promise you anything.”

Taeyong chuckled, ruffling the younger’s blonde hair. “Don’t just try, do it. If you need some advice or help, you know where to find me.”

“Thank you, Head Angel, for being understanding and so patient with me.”

“It’s always my pleasure. Good luck on your mission.”

Jaemin left the Head Angel’s Office with a heavy heart and a deep sigh. He thinks his mission is just an impossible one. Just like what Taeyong said, it’s been eighteen months yet there was still no improvement on Human A or Aeri or whoever she is, and he doesn’t think there will be one on the next months. Not when he doesn’t enjoy her presence at all, or the humans, in general.

“Damn, hyung, you look so awful, I wonder why the Head Angel still insists to keep you here.”

Jaemin stopped walking and turned to his right to see the naughtiest angel in the whole Angel City on one of the clouds in the Watch Area, lying on his stomach. The orange-haired cherubim lowered his sunglasses and winked at the older before showcasing his high-pitched laugh that would probably earn him another set of scolding from the Head Angel later. If there is one thing that Chenle loved doing since he arrived in the Angel world, it would be teasing his favorite hyung.

The older shook his head but still headed towards the other and sat beside him. Jaemin shivered slightly when he felt the cold surface of the cloud. He almost uttered a curse upon realizing that the part where he sat was a bit damp compared to Chenle’s side. He pinched the younger’s cheeks hardly, his nose scrunching in the process, knowing that part was planned by the naughty angel.

“Aw, hyung! What was that for?” Chenle whined, gently caressing his reddening cheek.

“Nothing, you’re just too cute, Chenle,” the older replied in an overly enthusiastic tone while making cute faces. The orange-haired angel shot him a disgusted look before glancing away. He totally removed his glasses, tossing them away, and grabbed the binoculars beside him to observe the busy Human world below the clouds.

“Oh! Look, hyung, it’s Aeri Noona! Do you want to take a look at her?”

“Ugh, I’d rather not, thanks,” Jaemin said dryly, lying on his back beside the younger. “Besides, I see her face everyday so, please, give me a break.”

Chenle snickered but didn’t comment anything, suddenly engrossed in watching the human, mumbling to himself. “What is she doing?”

“I dunno,” the blonde angel replied in a bored tone as he stared at the star-filled night sky. “Probably gonna do something stupid again.”

“Yeah, she must be _really_ stupid.” Chenle shook his head in disappointment, but continued observing the human. He adjusted the device to a higher quality setting in order to look more closely at to what human Jung Aeri is about to do.

After a few seconds of silence, which Jaemin truly appreciated, the orange-haired cherubim let out a cute noise of confusion, tilting his head as his forehead furrowed deeply.

“Wait a minute. She’s not gonna do what I think she’s about to do, right?” Chenle asked, mainly to himself. Suddenly realizing what’s about to unfold right through his binoculars, he gasped, rather loudly that almost shocked Jaemin. “Hyung, I think you should see this.”

“No, thank you. I want to sleep in peace.”

“But, hyung, you _really_ have to see this! Quick!”

Jaemin seriously doesn’t want to. In fact, he was so close to snapping at the other’s stubbornness, especially now that he’s a bit more than sensitive today because of this ‘close to failure’ mission of his. However, the younger was so close to shoving the binoculars to his face so he unwillingly obliged the request before his eyes get stabbed by the younger. 

“This better be worth my nap, Chenle.”

Jaemin was expecting a prank from the younger, probably just another random drunk human peeing on the lampost, or maybe another one of Aeri’s stupidity, which he has the privilege of seeing more than often. However, when he looked through the binoculars, he almost doubted the image his eyes were giving him.

He certainly did not expect to see Jung Aeri, standing at the edge of the rooftop of the apartment building she lives in, arms spreaded out, eyes tightly shut close and tears cascading down her face.

“She’s not gonna jump, is she? I mean, is she having an identity crisis that she thinks she’s a bird? Or maybe she thinks she’s an angel?” Chenle continued to blabber beside him, talking about his theories and whatnots that doesn’t make any sense at all, but Jaemin chose to ignore him. In fact, his attention is now wholly dedicated to the human.

“Or maybe she’s really an angel and she only reveals her true identity at night?”

“No,” Jaemin replied in a small voice, ignoring the nonsense statements made by the younger and lowering the binoculars from his eyes. Chenle was shocked to see an unreadable expression from the blonde’s face. “She wants to end her life.”

“End her life?” Chenle echoed weakly, the words bringing shivers crawling up his pale skin. “You mean to say that she’s about to commit s-suicide?”

“Uh-huh.”

The orange-haired cherubim’s forehead folded in confusion. Why does his hyung looked so unfaze upon knowing that his Human is about to commit the greatest sin of all? Does he really despise the human so much to the point where he’ll just let her die?

“Hyung, aren’t you gonna do something about it?”

“Guardian angels only guide their Humans, Chenle, but never, _never_ , interfere with their lives,” Jaemin replied casually, almost as if the scene doesn’t really affect him at all. “That’s like, one of the most basic rules. If you really want to be on a mission of your own someday, you should always remember that, okay?”

Chenle only nodded, bewildered, especially when the older stood and started flying towards the dormitory building. Is his hyung really going to ignore it just like that?

The blonde angel’s wings were already spread out into the cold night air, flying away from the clouds in the Watch Area when he heard it – the human’s broken voice that tugged something in the corner of his heart, making him feel weak suddenly.

_“_ _I just want to end this pain. Everything is just too much for me to take. I just wanted to be happy, but why can’t I? Don’t I deserve to be happy? Maybe if I finally end this, I will be able to find the happiness I am looking for. Maybe this is really what I’m meant to be – gone.”_

Everything happened so fast, almost in a blur, but all Jaemin could care about is the human Jung Aeri – his Human – safe and sound in his arms.


	2. Jung Aeri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like a movie, the different scenes for the past twenty years of her life played in her brain – happy, sad, memorable, unforgettable, and even the worst memories. It was as if they serve as a reminder how she lived her life, that she is alive.  
> That she was once alive.  
> A genuine smile appeared on her lips, a smile that speaks acceptance of whatever that’s bound to happen to her.
> 
> And with a satisfied and ready heart, she slowly dragged her feet towards the edge until she could feel the hard ground beneath her no more, letting herself fall into the hands of death.

“TIME’S UP! OKAY, CLASS, pass your papers to the center and then forward. Afterwards, you may now leave the classroom. The result of your final examination will be sent to you through e-mail before this day ends. Thank you for today and job well done!”

The room, then, erupted with cheers and applauds from the students, ecstatic to finally end the first semester and start the winter break with a lifted spirit.

Well, everyone, except for one.

Jung Aeri.

Frowning throughout the whole time she was answering the final examination for Calculus, the sophomore was very confident that she’d get a wholesome failing grade on the said subject, and will certainly spend her winter vacation here in this university, taking up extra lessons just to pass.

 _“If you had just listened during lectures and actually tried studying, maybe you wouldn’t have to waste your precious vacation for special classes,”_ a voice from the back of her mind said, in which she totally ignored. It’s probably her sub-consciousness, guilt tripping her.

_Psh. As if I really feel guilty at all._

Most of the students from her class remained inside the room. Some were busy interviewing each other and sharing their answers from the exam, while the others were already planning their winter activities. Aeri rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag and headed outside. However, another student from her class, whom she forgot the name because what’s the point, stood in front of her way with a blinding smile on her lips.

“Hi! Jung Aeri, right?”

The girl in question didn’t blink nor budge a bit, only an unimpressed look painted on her face that made the other gulp. Aeri raised an eyebrow when her classmate remained silent for the next few seconds.

“You’re wasting my time. What do you want?”

“Uhm, I-I was just about to ask if you’re interested in-“

“No, I’m not. If you don’t mind, I want to leave this room.”

The poor girl only blinked nervously, fervently nodding her head as she moved to the side to make way for Aeri, who’s already heading outside with her chin up. Her classmate was actually a nice girl, but she didn’t want to give her false hopes that she’s interested in befriending the other when it’s actually not.

The scenario didn’t go unnoticed from the remaining ones inside the room as they immediately gossiped about it, not even bothering to lower down their voices.

_“What’s with her? She got some nasty attitude.”_

_“She acts as if she’s above us all when she’s probably the most brainless in our class.”_

_“Tell me about it. I bet she’s gonna fail our Finals, just like how she did on our previous major exams.”_

_“And yet, she still has the audacity to act all superior.”_

_“Gosh, I really hate her.”_

Unknown to the small group of girls who were busy laughing out loud inside the room, the one they’re talking about is actually just outside, standing beside the door that’s why she can hear their whole conversation as clear as the display of hate they’ve shown. Aeri rolled her eyes as she fought the tears threatening to fall.

_No. You’re Jung Aeri. You’re not gonna cry over those pathetic people._

_“Maybe_ you’re _the pathetic one.”_

The girl scoffed as she, once again, brushed the voice on the back of her brain away along with the lone tear that had successfully managed to escape her eye. She put her earphones on and exited the premises of the university, praying for dear life not to step foot on it again.

*✦∗˚೫˳♡˳೫˚∗✦*˳

“YOU’RE LATE, Jung Aeri,” the middle-aged lady nagged as soon as the mentioned girl entered the resto bar.

“Well, sorry. In case you forget, I am a college student,” Aeri replied nonchalantly, not even bothering to filter the sarcasm that accompanied it. She mentally rolled her eyes at the usual comment of the manager of the place.

“Don’t use that excuse on me now. Mark saw you leaving the university early.”

“Oh! So, you’re keeping tabs on me now? What are you? My mother? Tss.” Aeri scoffed, the words coming out of her mouth tasting bitter. She shook her head in disbelief before heading to the dressing room where she’ll be preparing for the night.

Wearing white tank top with a beige cardigan covering it, skirt made of faded jeans, and brown boots, Aeri emerged on top of the mini stage in front of the customers inside the cramped space of the resto bar. She sat on the high stool in the center and grabbed the guitar on the stand beside her, tuning the strings until they were good to go.

She strummed the first chord but immediately stopped upon hearing a whistle from somewhere inside the place – a whistle that brought shivers to her spine. Almost immediate, she scanned the area with her eyes and caught the gaze of a man sitting not far from the stage. Aeri knew that look the old man is giving her – that lustful gaze that made her feel disgusted.

The said man shamelessly wiggled his eyebrows and gave a devilish smirk when their gazes met and she almost gagged right there in her seat.

If it was any other normal day, she would have probably ignored it but she’s feeling a little over extra sensitive with everything that happened so far since early in the morning until now.

So, with an angry huff, she stood from her seat, placed the guitar back on its place, and approached the old man, whose smirk turned into a shit-eating grin.

“Hey baby-”

Before the old man could finish whatever the fuck he’s about to say, Aeri’s small fist had already flew and made contact with the man’s face, earning him with a bleeding nose.

“What the f-”

“ _Fuck you,_ ” she muttered in a low voice laced with warning, her eyes shooting dagger looks that penetrated through the man standing in front of her.

He was definitely taller and bigger than her, but Aeri doesn’t give a fuck about that. She only shot her one last death glare before she went back to the stage to grab the guitar so she could go back to the dressing room. There is no way in hell that she’ll stay after what happened. Fuck the money, she just wants to go home.

“What is going on here?”

And of course, her manager won’t make this easy for her, will she? She had always hated Aeri ever since she started performing here last week, for obvious reasons, and she guessed that her way of getting back to Aeri is making her job at the resto bar miserable.

“Just teaching someone a lesson,” Aeri replied casually, boring her eyes at the manager, who looked fuming mad. “Nothing serious.”

“What do you mean nothing serious? You punched a client and made his nose bleed and you call that nothing serious?”

“Well, he deserves that for being a fucking pervert!” She spat the words with utter disgust while throwing piercing gaze once again to the old man who was now putting some pressure on his bleeding nose with a handkerchief.

“What can he even do to you in front of these people? Did he touch you? Molested you? Did he grab you from the stage and drag you to a room? Did he shout how you look like a slut in your clothes?”

“No, he…” Aeri paused, suddenly not knowing what to say. What did the man do to her again? Was she really a victim of sexual harassment or was it all because she was just a little bit sensitive today that she was starting to overthink things?

“He, what?” the manager demanded, obviously impatient.

“H-he whistled at me and gave me a perverted look,” Aeri answered as her voice fades towards the end of the statement because suddenly, she felt that she was at the wrong even if she really did feel violated a while ago.

“That’s it? Just because he whistled and looked at you, you suddenly felt the need to punch him? What the actual fuck, Aeri? Do you know the damage you have caused? We just lost a client and God knows how many more we are about to lose because of you. You know what? I’ve had enough of you! I’ll make sure the owner will know about this.”

Aeri scoffed. She avoided the manager’s gaze and somehow ended up on the clients of the resto bar, watching the whole scene unfold in their eyes. She even caught a person or two trying to catch the whole ordeal with their phones and she suddenly felt more embarrassed now than when she punched the man without hesitation earlier.

But she can’t back down. She can’t appear as the defeated one. Preventing the tears from spilling her eyes, she held her chin up and managed to give a defiant look as she spat the next words.

“Good, because I quit.”

*✦∗˚೫˳♡˳೫˚∗✦*˳

_TO: MS. JUNG AERI_

_Calculus’ Final Examination Score: 7/100_

_I am very disappointed to tell you that you had failed the final examination in Calculus, thus, you are required to take special classes for my subject during the winter break for six weeks. You have one week to relay your reply and to prepare the documents needed. I am very much willing to extend my help for you but, in return, I will be needing your cooperation. Most importantly, don’t give up on this. You can make it. Fighting!_

_Prof Choi Ji Hyun_

Throwing her head back to the couch, Aeri lets out a deep sigh upon seeing the e-mail displayed in her laptop. She had kind of expected it, that’s true. But to score a single-digit number for the final examination sounds very humiliating to her, even after admitting that she’s really at fault here.

_That’s just fucking great! Looks like I’ll be spending my winter break in that goddamn university._

Out of frustration, she threw the cushion pillow near her on to the floor. And if life is really testing her, she didn’t notice her phone lying on top of the said pillow. So, her phone also went flying in the air alongside the pillow, its screen falling first with a broken thud on the floor.

She lets out a silent scream and when she saw the broken screen protector of her screen and the various lines of colors appearing on the screen as she restarted her phone, she almost wanted to cry in frustration.

Nothing seems to go right today, it seems.

_“Maybe if you had tried harder, you probably wouldn’t be crying in frustration.”_

“Jung Aeri! I know you’re there, get out!” the loud voice, accompanied by series of loud knocks and slam on the door of her apartment, interrupted her mini wrath. However, the irritation came back again after hearing the familiar high-pitched tone from the outside. It’s probably the landlady, asking for her damn rent on this fucking apartment.

With an annoyed sigh, she stood and made her way to open the door and she wasn’t wrong at all when she came face to face with a tall and thin old lady who still looks stronger than her age, considering she can still shout and slam the door that way.

“What do you want, Kim Ahjumma?” Aeri swears she tried to sound as polite as she could. She’s talking to an elder, after all, but she couldn’t help it when the spiciness bit on her tone along with the raise of an eyebrow.

Kim Ahjumma couldn’t stop a scoff from coming out of her lips. “Let me tell you what I want, young lady. How ‘bout paying the rent, hmm? You’re five months late and if it wasn’t for your mother, I would have kicked you out into the streets months ago, you rascal.”

Aeri tried, _really_ tried, to ignore the words the old lady used against her, but she’s had enough. It’s always been like this. And It’s not like she has anything to pay, really, but she just lost the only source of money she could had after getting fired from the resto bar earlier.

“Was it really because of my mother? Or it’s because of the money?” she spat back, equaling the intensity Kim Ahjumma showed. “Just admit that you’re a greedy old hag and leave me alone!”

The old lady’s mouth immediately gaped, shocked to hear the younger talking back to her. Usually, Aeri would just let Ms. Kim’s words pass through her ears and keep quiet, but it seems like she’s been fed up with it and couldn’t keep herself calm anymore.

“Why you little bitch,” the landlady mumbled under her breath as she approached Aeri, right palm already flying in the air in an attempt to slap the younger.

But before it could reach Aeri’s face, an arm was already stopping the older.

“Ahjumma, let’s not choose violence and calm down instead, yeah?”

Aeri rolled her eyes, already hating the familiar voice emerging behind the old lady.

“My God, Aeyoung, I’m this close to kicking your daughter out in the streets,” the old lady nagged, throwing dagger looks at the youngest. “She keeps on promising to pay the rent on time but she’s really not paying anything.”

“I’m really sorry, Ahjumma. I’ll make sure to pay you instead, hmm? Just don’t kick our Aeri out,” Aeyoung pleaded, giving the old lady an apologetic smile. Aeri suddenly want to gag at the sight before muttering a few curses as she enters her apartment, not bothering to listen the whole conversation between the evil landlady and her mother.

Not a few minutes later, her mother entered as well, sporting a very disappointed look – something she’s very used to.

“If you’re here to convince me to go with you _again_ , my answer is still the same – _no_ ,” Aeri started, interrupting whatever her mother is about to say.

Aeyoung lets out a deep, tired sigh. The bags under her eyes seemed to be a bit bigger, she looked a bit older, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to be a bit more noticeable since the last time they met, and Aeri felt a bit sorry towards her mother.

But it was abruptly gone the moment the older spoke.

“Let’s go home, sweetie.”

“No,” the young lady answered firmly, head shaking negatively. “I’m not going with you. That is not my home.”

“Let’s stop this now, hmm? You’re only making yourself suffer when you can live comfortably with us. Jae is waiting for you, so let’s go home, okay?”

Aeri only shook her head once again. “I told you, I’m not going to that house. That’s not my home! What can you not understand in that? I only have one home. _That_ is my only home,” she muttered in a final tone, finger pointing to the window, where a large abandoned house from across the street can be seen from the outside. “That is my only home and you took it away from me! You sold it to a complete stranger, for what? For money! Just so you could marry your bastard of a husband!”

Before she could even stop herself, Aeyoung’s hand had already met the younger’s cheek, a loud slap sound silencing the area. She was shocked as soon as she realized what she had done. Guilt immediately taking over her, she abruptly took a step closer towards her daughter but the latter only stepped back away.

Aeri was shocked too. This is not the first time that she had a heated argument with her mother, but this is the first time she got hurt physically. All because her mother couldn’t take an insult on her second husband – the man she replaced her father with.

“I-I’m so sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean it-”

“You just gave me another reason to hate you, mother.” Aeri’s voice couldn’t be mistaken, hatred is very much present on those words.

“Why can’t you accept him, Aeri? He had been nothing but a sweet and kind father to Jae, you just can’t see it because you won’t give him a chance.”

“Because he’s not my father!” she shouted, tears cascading down her face freely. “And he will never be. He can never replace my daddy. Not now, not in this lifetime, not even in the next.”

“Your father’s dead, Aeri. Wake up! He’s long gone and he’s not gonna come back. You’re the only one stuck from it. Move on!” Aeyoung cried out, face crumpled in so much pain for her daughter and her broken heart.

“I don’t want to move on, because I only want my daddy and nobody else! If you think seven years are long enough to forget the pain, to heal the wound daddy left, well good for you. But it’s not the same for me! So stop assuming that just because you had already moved on, everyone around you had too. Because I haven’t and I don’t think I’ll ever move on from this.”

Aeyoung went silent, the tears spilling continuously on her face. The younger took it as a sign to continue.

“You know, I had always admired you and daddy’s love for each other. I used to say that it’s so genuine and unique that I wanted to have like that with my future partner someday. But after seeing you smile so brightly and look at another man the same way you looked at daddy as you promise forever with him, have you really loved my father when he was still alive?” Aeri’s voice faded at the end, as if almost whispering the question because she couldn’t say it out loud without causing so much pain to her heart.

“Of course, Aeri, I did. I loved him with my all.”

“Then how could you promise another man the same vows you promised daddy with? If you really loved him with your all, you wouldn’t be able to love another man, even if he’s gone already. If you really loved daddy, you wouldn’t be able to replace him with another man.”

*✦∗˚೫˳♡˳೫˚∗✦*˳

“YOU’RE SO UNFAIR, DADDY,” AERI muttered under her breath weakly, the tears on her face slowly getting dried by the cold wind in the open space on the rooftop. “You left early. You left me all alone. I hate you.”

It’s true, it has been seven years since Aeri’s father died in a car accident, but her longing for her father hadn’t decreased in one bit. Not when her mother and younger brother had already moved on. And most definitely not when her mother had married another man last year to replace her father with.

She’s a daddy’s girl so waking up every day without her father for seven years have always been miserable for her. She didn’t know how she lasted this long, how she survived those painful days without her father beside her.

Or maybe it’s the promise they both made days before the accident happened that kept her hanging this far.

_“I’ll be an architect someday, Daddy, and make you proud with my achievements. I promise you that so you have to promise me that you’ll be there beside me when I reach my dream.”_

_“I promise, Princess.”_

But looking back, it was her father who hadn’t manage to keep his promise. It was him who broke their deal. It was him who caused her first heart break. It was him who left her heart in pieces.

So, maybe, breaking her own promise the same way her father did doesn’t sound as bad as it is.

“But I also miss you, daddy. So much,” Aeri muttered, sobbing gently in between. “And it hurts so fucking much that I feel numb sometimes. I just want us to be together again. Is it too much to ask?”

Slowly, she took small steps forward until those small steps turned bigger until she found herself on the edge of the rooftop.

She never once thought of ending her life but maybe everything that happened today only proved how miserable her life is. That she’s only wasting her life on earth when it is better for her to leave this place – to be completely gone.

She looked up at the sky and saw the moon and the blinking stars looking down upon her – the only witnesses to this significant event of an insignificant human being. She wondered how it would feel like to be there up in the sky and be a part of those stars.

Closing her eyes, she spread her arms wide, feeling the cold air embracing her. _It must be happy up there,_ she thought as a sad smile escaped her lips.

_I just want to end this pain. Everything is just too much for me to take. I just wanted to be happy, but why can’t I? Don’t I deserve to be happy? Maybe if I finally end this, I will be able to find the happiness I am looking for. Maybe this is really what I’m meant to be – gone._

Suddenly, the air turned colder and the wind blew harder and Aeri thought, _it must be time for me to go._

Like a movie, the different scenes for the past twenty years of her life played in her brain – happy, sad, memorable, unforgettable, and even the worst memories. It was as if they serve as a reminder how she lived her life, that she is alive.

That she _was once_ alive.

A genuine smile appeared on her lips, a smile that speaks acceptance of whatever that’s bound to happen to her.

And with a satisfied and ready heart, she slowly dragged her feet towards the edge until she could feel the hard ground beneath her no more, letting herself fall into the hands of death.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Let me know what you think! Follow me on:
> 
> 🤍 Twitter: @god_najaem


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